Be Careful Be Safe
by Cookyie
Summary: Holly's POV of the interrogation room kiss.


Holly's POV of the interrogation room kiss. Sorry for any mistakes, I just had to get this out.

* * *

"Holly, hey!" I heard a voice behind me.

I turned from my computer screen that was running tests to see my boss show up in the doorway.

"Oh, hey Elizabeth, how's it going?"

She leaned against the doorway. She was a good boss, not too overbearing, but strict enough to keep the slackers in order. "How are those tests going? We need those results asap so we can nail this scumbag in court on Friday."

"Yeah, I know," I replied. "They're just about done, I think."

"Okay, great, send them up to me as soon as they're ready," she says, pushing herself off the door and on the way out.

"You bet," I confirmed, already turning back to the screen.

"Oh," I heard her voice and turned back to the doorway and see Elizabeth poking her head into the room, "by the way, you have friends up in 15 Division right?"

I had a slight panic moment and swallowed before replying. "Yeah, I know a few of them." Well actually, only one of them. I wondered where this was leading.

"Well, I heard from higher up that there's some suspect out there hunting for cops from their division and I just thought—"

At that moment, all thoughts completely left my head, except for one. Gail. Some suspect was hunting Gail? I could see Elizabeth's mouth moving but nothing else was processing. Before I knew it, I was grabbing my jacket and out of my seat. I headed towards the door and passed Elizabeth. I think I babbled something about "being right back."

Gail. Gail. Gail was in danger. I already knew that she was always in danger. I mean it kind of comes with the job, but now you're telling me that somebody's hunting her? I couldn't think of anything else. The lab results, leaving Elizabeth, my boss, in my lab.

I climbed into my car and started driving. My hands were sweating. I didn't even know what I was doing. Everything kind of seemed numb. There was an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't imagine why. Gail and I were friends. We hung out. We had fun. That's all. Right? Just friends. I mean, I even had a date last night! But why couldn't I shake this horrid feeling from my stomach?

But I did know why.

Part of me knew exactly what I was doing yesterday. When my date asked where to meet, I nonchalantly suggested The Penny. I knew there was a high likelihood that Gail would be there. I felt something different with her ever since that first day in the morgue. But I wanted to know if she did. So I did it on purpose. I arranged a date right in front of Gail's brilliant eyes. I may be a nerd, but that doesn't mean I can't be tricky. And she definitely was staring a lot at us in the booth. I don't think she knew how piercing her gaze is. It felt like she was watching my move and knew exactly what I was doing.

There's something about Gail. The way she just snarks at you. The way she just looks at you. The way she laughs when she goofs up something. Like at the batting cage. That girl cannot play baseball to save her life. The way she is when she relaxes, like on the dance floor at Frank's wedding.

I find myself sitting in my car in 15 Division's visitor parking lot. What was I doing here? Gail and I were just friends. Right, exactly just friends…for now. So there's no reason that I can't come to just check on her, right? But isn't this kind of stalker-ish just showing up at her workplace for really no _concrete_ reason? I looked in my backseat and see a couple of bulletins and old files. I grab one and clamber out of the vehicle.

I could hear sirens leaving 15 Division's police car lot. Trying to swallow the lump in my throat, I pushed my way through the door and realized that I had no idea where Gail was. She could be out in patrol for right now.

"God Holly, what were you thinking," I leaned against a wall and whispered to myself. A detective who was walking past gave me a strange look.

Okay, well maybe she's still in the station. It wouldn't hurt to just hang around a bit right? I notice bulletin boards all along the wall and decide to read some of them while keeping an eye out for Gail.

Ten minutes pass. Fifteen. Twenty. Thirty minutes of standing in the hallway. Maybe she's out on patrol after all. I turn and look down the hallway one last time. And see a very familiar head of blond hair heading my way.

Shit. Shit. She's actually here. She hasn't seen me yet though. I start fidgeting and slowly advance towards her.

"Holly, hey," Gail holds her hands out in confusion, "what are you doing here?"

Quick. Quick. Make up something, remember you brought that file you brought.

"Oh uh, just had to drop off a report. It's…a murder case from a couple weeks ago." I can't lie. I suck at lying. I'm pretty sure the word "LIAR LIAR" is stamped across my forehead, right above my glasses. I wouldn't be surprised if I were bright red either. Or if my pants were on fire.

Gail looks confused. "Doesn't the courier usually bring that stuff over?"

Quick. Another lie.

"Yeah, he was sick or something?" Good job Holly. Nice save, you dumbass.

Gail gives me a look and I know the game is up. I give up. I can't lie anymore. I'll probably end up word vomiting all over her and digging myself into a deeper hole.

"Hey, come here." I take her by the arm without thinking about the physical touch. I push her into a nearby interrogation room. She looks back at me confused.

I throw the file on the table.

"Is it true? I just—I just heard a rumor that there's some freak out there hunting you guys."

"Yeah, Holly, I'm not allowed to talk about this." Gail shakes her head.

Oh please. I'm not convinced.

I guess my face said it all.

"There was an officer that was shot. She's in the hospital and…a few other officers took fire," Gail continues.

That pause. She paused. The lump in my throat got bigger. She got shot at. This was real.

"You mean you. Someone shot at you? And you're going to go back out there?" This feeling in my stomach. What was it? Knots? Weights? Both.

Gail looks perplexed. "Yeah, Holly, I'm a police officer."

"That doesn't mean you have to go back out there and put yourself in danger!"

"Yeah…it kinda does." Gail looks at me like it's obvious. I should know this. Of course it means she has to go out there. It's her job to. I knew what I was getting into. What was I even thinking, coming down to a police station, asking a cop not to do her job.

I can't breathe. What if something happens to her? Millions of thoughts are racing through my head. For once, I'm not sure what to say to her. What if I never got a chance to explain what my feelings for her? Wait did I even have feelings for her? When did this happen? I start spewing words without knowing what I'm saying.

"Oh…okay…well fine. But li-listen, that girl last night…I barely knew her okay? It was a stupid setup." Oh god, the word vomit is rushing out, but I can't stop it. Why am I explaining my date last night to Gail?

She's obviously thinking the same question as she makes a noncommittal face and shakes her head slightly. But for the life of me, I cannot stop talking. What is it about this girl that makes me want to explain everything?

"Well, anyway I just thought you should know. I don't know why I didn't tell you, I mean, we tell each other stuff right? That's what's so great is us hanging out and I guess that's why when I heard what was happening I just thought I should come down here and, I don't know, make sure you're okay or something…" my seemingly endless rant is cut to an abrupt stop as I find hands on my face and a pair of lips on my own.

Gail kissed me. I think. My head's on auto-pilot. Yeah, she's definitely kissing me. It's nothing like when I first kissed at Frank's wedding. That was just for kicks. She was being adorable and I wanted to just shut her up. And now she was definitely shutting me up. As I feel our lips moving together, for the first time since Elizabeth told me what was happening, I feel the knots in my stomach untangle.

And it's over. Gail pulls back and I can barely remember my own name. I can't even remember how we ended up in this room. Why was I even at 15 Division again?

I look at her and she looks at me. I'm faintly aware of her hands still on my face. I know Gail well enough by now. She must be having a panic attack on the inside. I let her control the situation. I don't think I could control the situation if I wanted to.

"I'm sorry…" her voice is soft, "you…you just had to stop talking."

I should be insulted that that's the reason she kissed me. But I think some part of me knew that she was right. I had to stop talking. And she stopped me in the most perfect way possible.

"I won't say another word," I match her tone. She looks at me again and I look at her. We both know what's coming and lean in.

I don't know how much time passed. I could care less if there had been a nuclear war outside of this room. All I knew was that Gail was kissing me and I never wanted her to stop. My head was spinning and I don't think I ever wanted to come down from this cloud.

But somewhere in the back of my head, I knew I had to let Gail do her job. I pull back and I can barely breathe anymore. I open my eyes and look at the face in front of me. I reach a hand up to her face and touch her cheek. Just to make sure she's still real. That this is still happening.

Gail looks at me and I guess it's my turn to say something.

"Be careful. Be safe." It sounds lame. The words just kind of fell out of my mouth. I wish I could've thought of something wittier, but I think my wits went flying out the room when Gail planted her mouth on mine.

"I know. I should go. Oliver's probably looking for me."

Now's not the time for relationship talk or "what are we" talks.

"Okay. I'll see you afterwards okay?"

"Promise," Gail replies and she leaves the room without looking back.

I stand in the middle of the room and count to three. And then I exit. And I leave my thoughts and emotions in that room. Because I can't bring them with me back to work. Because I don't want to suffocate Gail with them. I don't want to create an emergency situation. I let her go. And I pray that I'll see her at the end of the day, unharmed.


End file.
